It's All Good

I heard a blogger interviewed on radio today saying that there aren't enough bloggers in America today. (Actually, I missed most of the interview!).

I haven't met any others, that I know of. It's probably true.

The radio interviewer had just made fun of "bloggers", with a Palinesque derision. Yes, Sarah Palin, who called bloggers “kids in pajamas sitting in the basement of their parents’ homes”. It didn't surprise me the man sounded defensive. (I do wish NPR could be more nonpartisan).

Most bloggers stop after a few entries. The time invested and the surprisingly hard, solitary work it is for ephemeral return could factor into it.

It might surprise those unfamiliar with blogging to know that most bloggers' immediate family members don't often, if ever, read their blogs. It follows, then, that bloggers don't get much encouragement. They also get paid less than mathematicians, like most hard scientists, another group whose writings tend to be unread by their own families. The point is, it's a wonder of the world that there are any bloggers at all.

On the other hand, it is fun to get your own views out there, and sometimes, you know that extremely intelligent and educated readers in places far, far away have read your entries for a long time. Maybe they are quietly reposing alone with candlelight and a sleeping pet. Perhaps they just want to rest for a few minutes on a sunny, breezy mountaintop with a view and an internet connection. Somehow that makes it all worthwhile.